Matt and Jennifer Symank

Friday, July 20, 2012

It has been WAY too long but I have been super busy! I know everyone has been curious about my L&D so here is the story!

On Friday, May 11th, I had a check-up with Dr. Horth. At the appointment she checked my cervix and dialation. I was dialated to a 3 and was fully effaced (my cervix was paper-thin). She thought I would be in that weekend and I was! She set me up with an appointment for Wednesday just in case I didn't go into labor before then, as she would be out of town the next weekend. After she checked me I began to have contractions that were more evenly spaced out. I had read about that happening after the doctor checks you but I still wasn't expecting it. The contractions were still 30 minutes or more appart. That night they were even closer together.

The next morning, Matt and I decided to go to Wichita Falls. We went to Wal-Mart, the mall, Cavendars and Hastings. By then my contractions were about 7 minutes appart. Matt began to worry and I suggested that we go and eat, because I knew that when we went to the hospital I wouldn't get any real food until after Clara was born. We went to Johnny Carino's and the whole time Matt was worried about my contractions which had started getting closer together (about 5 minutes). He looked at me like I was crazy when I suggested having dessert. After supper we went to Target to walk a bit more. When my contractions got to about 3-4 minutes appart Matt insisted calling and going to the hospital. We talked to the doctor on call and he agreed that we should come in.

When we got to the hospital, the nurse checked me into a temp room to check my vitals and my dialation and cervix. I was at 5cm dialated, my contractions were measuring father apart because I was laying down, and my water hadn't broken. Dr. Horth was called and she told them to admit me because I was far enough along and I lived out of town. After a few hours of being in the hospital I was still at a 5 and the nurse suggested that I walk. When I was walking my Daddy and step-mom, Judy, showed up! After walking a while and visiting with Daddy and Judy, I was still at a 5 and Dr. Horth recommended Pitocin. I was given the Pit through my IV and my contractions became more intense. Another few hours went by and I dozed for a while. Dr. Horth then came in and checked me again, this was about 8am Sunday morning and she decided to break my water. After my water was broken my contractions were so intense and painful that I broke down and got an epidural around 9:30 am. The epidural is a strange thing. I felt it as soon as it began to work. It was as if my bottom half of my body fell asleep. I had some feeling in my left leg still, tingly just like it had falled asleep and my right was numb although I could feel pressure. 30 minutes later I was feeling pain again. They came in and check my epidural and it was working fine and wasn't mispositioned so they gave me a little more of the medicine. It still didn't work.

At around 10:45 am I was given a pain shot and a couple minutes after that I felt the need to push. Dr. Horth came in after a few pushes and we got down to it! This was about 11am. After about 10 minutes of pushing, Clara was being stubborn and kept going back up so Dr. Horth suggested using the vacuum. The next contraction came and out she came! 11:13AM on May 13, 2012, I had a 7 pound, 8 ounce, 19-1/2 inch baby girl! She was born on Mother's Day and it was the best Mother's Day gift I could have ever asked for! Clara didn't cry as much as she should have because some of the pain medication I was given passed to her. She was monitored for 24 hours and when her vitals were all stable and she showed that she could breath on her own she came to our room. We left the hospital on Tuesday.

Just a little advice for first time mommies!

People asked what I recommend with regard to the pain medication and epidural. I think that if you can get through it without medicines then do it. I kind of regret the epidural because it didn't work for me. If you are asked, right before delivery, if you want a different medication for pain, don't get it. I didn't get to see Clara until a few hours later because she had to be monitored. She was also hooked up to all kinds of machines and it was scary even though I knew she was okay. I also recommend timing your contractions while you are sitting or lying down. Your contractions will slow down when you aren't walking and when you go to the hospital they measure your contractions while you are lying down.

Monday, April 30, 2012

I know I am yet again late at posting a blog, and yes, I know that it has been over 3 weeks since I have last posted!

I am currently 36w, 3d along in my pregnancy and since I have talked to you last, I have had 2 doctor appointments, a baby shower, a 30th anniversary celebration for my in-laws and many, many boring days with swollen feet, ankles, and hands.

I will begin with my baby shower. The decorations and food was amazing and the hosts did a fantastic job at putting everything together! I received so many great gifts at the shower that I am currently still trying to find places to put everything. I am still getting gifts in the mail as well. It is somewhat overwhelming to receive so many gifts from people that care about you and I can't express how much Matt and I appreciate it all!

The anniversary celebration for Steve and Linda was so fun. It was just Steve, Linda, us "kids" and Linda's brother, Kevin. We had it at the farm and had sandwiches, drinks, and a very pretty and yummy cake! It was a surprise for them both and I am so glad we pulled it off without them finding out!

Now the doctor appointments. The one at my 35 week mark was pretty ordinary in that she measured my tummy and again said I am measuring early. I also had 2 tests done, one at the clinic and one blood test at the lab. The clinic test was for Type B Strep. They swab your "area" to see if you have it because it can be passed onto the baby when they are born. If you have it they will administer a antibiotic into your IV to clear it all up. Thankfully I don't have it!!! The second test is a HIV test and a test for blood levels especially iron. That test also came back great!

This last appointment, 36 weeks, I was measuring a little over 37cm. After the appointment I looked that number up and that is the size a 37 week pregnant lady should be. So odds are I will deliver early! She also reiterated the times I should call the office and begin heading to the hospital. I will go to the doctor again this Wednesday (I am now going weekly) and she will measure my tummy as well as examine my cervix to see if it is dilated at all. We will see but I am hoping to deliver sooner rather than later. I have also gained too much weight at this appointment but after looking me over Dr. Horth believes it to be all swelling.

This week has been pretty rough on me swelling wise. It seems that anytime I walk for more than a few minutes I swell badly. My ankles, feet and toes look awful. My wrists and fingers swell as well but I usually wake up with these swollen, sausage looking appendages that are so big that I have a hard time flexing them! It is no fun but I know that once Clara is here, it will all get better! The doctor has told me to stay off my feet as much as I can to try and get the swelling under control.

Other than that I have nothing new going on. I am resting more because of the swelling and I am still trying to get everything ready for Clara's arrival.

Friday, April 6, 2012

Sorry no post last week. I had a bit of a breakdown mid week and let's be honest, I really didn't want to post about what happened at the time, but I will explain now.

Week 32
My week started out fine. I was feeling great. Falls County had a benefit concert on Friday night for Jamie's Dad, Jim, and his fight with prostate cancer. I stayed at Linda and Steve's house to hang out. Nathan, Amber, and Stevie were there so I got to play with Stevie and talk to Amber and Linda while Nate and Steve had to go get Nate's forgotten shirts back in Duncan. The benefit went really well and everyone had a pretty good night. Saturday was great as well, I went to Wichita Falls with my friend Katie and her husband Andrew. Matt had a gig in Gainesville. We went and watched the Hunger Games (AMAZING!) and do a little shopping. I forgot popcorn had tons of salt and so had my first run in with swollen fingers. They went down after supper and lots of water! Overall a great night. Sunday we had a picnic supper at the farm and then a photo shoot with Amber and the entire family helped out. We had so much fun and Matt actually relaxed and smiled a lot! Monday was pretty BLAH as I just stayed home and cleaned.

Then Tuesday hit.

Tuesday I woke up super sore and my entire body was achy. I still cleaned and picked up around the house that day. By the end of the day my back and hips were on fire. I got into the shower hoping that it would relax my muscles and that is when I felt it. A hemorrhoid. Maybe some of you are thinking gross and I am sorry for that but that is how things went down! Don't get me wrong, I knew most pregnant women get them and it is really common but it just pushed me over the edge! Matt found me in the shower 10 minutes later bawling. He was confused to say the least and I couldn't really explain what was wrong because at that point I was crying and hiccuping. After helping me out of the shower and calming me down I told him what happened and I felt better.

Wednesday I skipped out of Religious Education in order to go to Wichita Falls to get some Tuck's Pads and ointment for my new little pain in the butt (no pun intended). And I also got to go to the first Donkey Punchers game of the season. The Donkey Punchers is a softball team that Matt plays on. The game only lasted 15 minutes as the other team went nuts on the umps and were kicked out. So the first W for the team! The end of the week was pretty uneventful.

Week 33 (Holy Week/ Week before Easter)
Holy week is probably on of my most favorite weeks in the whole liturgical year!

This week began great! Friday was the day that Falls County found out that they won the
Battle for Billy Bob's on 94.9 The Outlaw! They move on to the next
round and voting begins April 9!!! We went out to celebrate with Scott, Tara, their girls, Kamdyn and McKenna, Donna, Justin, and Tara's parents! Matt had a gig on Saturday in Munday, TX and from what I hear, it went well. Monday I drove Grandma Connie to the doctor and had a late lunch with her. We also picked out some new Easter Dresses! Yay!

I had a Dr. appointment on Tuesday that went really well. Clara's heart beat was 156bpm and my belly measured big once again. I am now going to the doctor every 2 weeks and my next appointment is on April 20! I can't wait!

Wednesday was a pretty good day. I taught RE and only had girls! We had a pretty relaxing class. After class, Matt and I attended Stations of the Cross, Mass, and Penance Service.

Thursday I was sore again but not to the point of crying! We didn't go to Holy Thursday Mass but at bedtime I read the scriptures that were read during Mass and we talked about them!

And today! I have been waking up with sore hips the last few days but today was the worst. I didn't want to move! It got better after I walked around a bit. Cleaning and resting is all I did today. Tonight we will be going to Good Friday Mass and celebrating the Passion of Christ!

33 Week Update

Baby size: 18-19 inches and around 5 pounds.

Visual Changes in Mama: I am very round and my tummy is hard. People keep telling me that I am all baby but I feel HUGE! Getting a couple more stretch marks. :-(

Symptoms: Sore hips and some sciatic nerve pain.

Cravings: Salads. I have eaten at least one salad a day for the past week!
Fun Facts

Saturday, March 17, 2012

10 more weeks until my due date! 5 more weeks until my baby shower! I am so excited! It is so close but still so far!

This week was interesting. Matt had a gig in Arlington on Sunday so we went on Saturday and stayed the night. We mainly just hung out until church at St. Matthew's at 5:30. We then went to a Mexican grocery store where Matt was the only white guy in the entire store and I was the only Hispanic that couldn't speak Spanish. It was an adventure! After that we just went back to our hotel and watched a movie and ate leftovers and the dessert we picked up at the store.

Sunday we spent the day at Six Flags! Falls County played in the Texas area on the Back Porch Stage. It was so much fun. We walked a lot but I got to rest while the others rode rides! I also got to do a lot of stroller watching duty with Sara Molina as she doesn't like to ride the rides. We were at the park from about 10:30 that morning until 7:15 that evening. The day started off rainy but around 1pm turned into an amazing day! Not a cloud in the sky and just the right temperature.

Monday was a day of extreme rest for me. I woke up so tired and sore from walking; I thought my legs were going to pop off at the hips! It was a great workout but I guess my body isn't used to walking quite that much!

The rest of the week was pretty uneventful. School was on Spring Break so I didn't have Religious Education to teach. I was grateful for that as the kids have been getting quite rowdy.

Thursday we went to Steve and Linda's to find a great play buddy there! Our nephew Wesley was there and we hung out and played with him in the front yard for a while. Friday we rode our bikes to S&L's so Matt could walk the dogs and we hung out there for a while just talking. Later Jamie, Eric and Wes came over and visited for a while. It was great to get to talk to them for a while.

I forgot to mention it in the past weeks but the Linea Nigra has emerged on my belly! All it is a pregnancy hormones causing hyper-pigmentation to my Linea Alba, the white line that runs down the middle of the belly. It is natural and happens more often with women with darker skin. An old wives tale says that if the line only runs from your pubic area to your belly button you are having a girl and if it goes to your rib cage then you are having a boy. Well Clara's last sono showed all girl and my L.N. goes all the way to my ribs. Hmm... silly old wives!

Cravings: Ever since we got a Sonic in town again I have been wanting strawberry limeades and lime slushes! Also cheese sticks! Mmm...

Fun Facts: Baby's brain is beginning to handle functions like body temperature. Now that she can begin to warm herself and she is gaining body fat to help stay warm, the lanugo that was covering the baby will begin to fall out.

Friday, March 9, 2012

Hey y'all,

On Saturday evening I spent time with my friend, Katie. We had fun even though she has been going through a tough time. I am glad to be able to be here for my friends when they need me.

On Monday I had a sonogram and check up. We got to see Clara and the sono tech made sure that she was in fact a she! Her heart rate was great and she was measuring a few days bigger than her due date. They won't change my due date (May 25) based on her measuring 4 days big (May 21) but I know my brother, Jeremy, would be happy if she is born on the 21st! It's his birthday!

After my appointment I also had a Pampered Chef meeting! It was really fun and I learned some new ways to build my business and different ways to sell products!

The only problems I have had this week are nausea, when I eat too much, and fatigue. I seriously can sleep most of a day if I had the chance. No I don't have that luxury but I could do it! Well that is really all I can think of talking about today so here is my update!

Week 29 Update

Baby Size: 16" to 17"

Visual Changes in Mama: I feel so round! As usual I am bigger and bigger each day!

Symptoms: Fatigue and some nausea if I eat too much at a time.

Cravings: Salads. I eat one at least every other day!

Fun Facts: Baby's spleen is now fully functional! Lanugo hair is now beginning to fall out in week 29.

Friday, March 2, 2012

Well Friends,This week started out awful! I don't know why, but from Sunday morning until Wednesday night I felt nauseated. Maybe I ate too many tacos on Saturday night and it stuck with me or something. It was BAD!!! I had zero motivation those days. Wednesday afternoon I began to feel better and I was able to teach R.E. that night. That night and into the early morning I finished small details on the nursery paint! Yay that is done! I will post pictures later when I get everything cleaned up.

We finally picked out a first name this weekend. Her name is Clara! We have yet to pick out a middle name but we have it down to three names. Hope it doesn't take too long!

Week 28 Update:

Baby Size: 14-3/4 to 16"

Visual Changes in Mama: Bigger and bigger everyday.

Symptoms: Nausea for half the week

Cravings: Salads

Fun Facts: Baby's brain tissue is increasing and baby is now blinking.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Didn't I just find out I was pregnant?! I seriously feel like it was last week that I started feeling her kick! Now I only have 13 weeks until my due date! At times I thought "this process is so slow" but it seriously went by so fast!

This week has been pretty good. Saturday afternoon I got to hang out with Tara, Donna, Kamdyn, and McKenna (Wife, mother, and daughters of Scott, Falls County's bass player). It was really fun! Then that night Falls County performed at Comanche Red River Casino and I got to see them! Daddy, Judy and Jennifer (my step-sister) were at the gig and I got to see them!

This week has been yet another week of trying to finish painting the nursery. We are so close to being done! I will post a picture when it is done!

Tuesday I went walking with Katie! Well first we spent about half an hour talking about baby names, then we walked a mile at the track! We had to dodge junior high kids that apparently hang out at the track but we walked and talked and had a great time; then went back to her house and talked more about baby names! After that walk I must say I need to walk more often because as I was walking my back was killing me and I was worried that I wouldn't be able to get out of bed in the morning. Oddly I had no problem with my back the next morning but my hips were killing me!

Last night I had the chance to spend some time with my friend Paige. I haven't had "Paige Time" in over a year just because of our busy schedules. We went to Graham and had supper and watched The Woman In Black. *No spoilers* I liked the movie although I am not sure I liked the ending. It wasn't what I was expecting and it was quite bitter-sweet. Over all the night was great! We seriously talked the whole time we were together, even during the movie, and I thought the older couple sitting in front of us was going to turn around and yell at us for talking to Daniel Radcliffe!

Okay enough about my week here you go!

Week 27 Update:

Baby Size: 14-15" -I am only doing crown to feet measurements now.

Visual Changes in Mama: As Matt said yesterday: "It looks like I swallowed a medium pumpkin". So there you go, a visual from the husband!

Symptoms: I have been getting really out of breath lately. I got short of breath just separating laundry!

Craving: I have been wanting strawberries a lot lately. Also earlier in the week I couldn't get enough peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!

Fun Facts: **Baby's vascular system can handle oxygen/carbon dioxide exchange and the brain stem can regulate breathing as well as basil body temperature. At this point in a healthy pregnancy if a baby is born premature it can survive although the baby will spend quite a bit of time in the ICU.

Matt and Jennifer Symank

About Me

I am Jennifer Symank and my husband's name is Matt. Matt and I are from Olney, TX. We were born and raised here. We have known each other our whole lives but we didn't start dating until July 4, 2005. We were married on June 28, 2008. We have a German short-haired pointer named Jäger who was born in August 2008. We love our families, friends, music, art, and most of all God. Matt is in a band called Falls County. They are really great and if you have a chance I highly suggest going to see them!